Sieved soil

[cacran]

My allotment neighbour has spent days sieving his soil to a fine powder. It looks sooooooo good. One of the other allotmenters told him he would need to add some grit to it or it would be no good. Any advice would be welcome.

[cacran]

[saddad]

If it's clay based any rain will just cap it and make it difficult for seedlings to germinate... except docks and dandelions of course...  ::)

[cacran]

I don't know if it is clay based or not, will have to ask the guy. thanks anyway.

[daileg]

 well i would say depends on the over all soil conditions of your site depending if its clay chalk or sand based (drainage) if you dig a hole spade deep and poor a watering can full in what happens to the water does it get absorbed straight away or does it sit there draining slowly into the soil if the later would of said would need a little grit to mix if it runs away quickly then would be fine if the person who offered this advice has been on the site for a while trust him he would know what was best as hes been growing there for a while // also depends on what your fellow plot holder tends to use this fine sieved tilth sowing seeds nursary bed would be good

[cacran]

I will pass this advice on. I think it may beclay as the allotments are on old bog land, we have frogs in abundance.

[shirlton]

We only sieve ours for the root veg trough and the seedbed

[Digeroo]

If I seived mine there would not be much left. :o :o 

Things doing surprisingly well on it, 

[Psi (Pronounced 'Si'!)]

I seived mine ready for spring onions and roots like radish, fennel and turnips - just to get a tilth for sowing.  I made sure not to remove organic material though - there is a danger that by doing so you make it too free draining I think - my understanding is that the organic material holds moisture better.  You could just rake however as seiving is pretty hard work to be honest - it is a good work out for the 'core' for those who fancy it!

[1066]

I seived mine ready for spring onions and roots like radish, fennel and turnips - just to get a tilth for sowing.  I made sure not to remove organic material though - there is a danger that by doing so you make it too free draining I think - my understanding is that the organic material holds moisture better.  You could just rake however as seiving is pretty hard work to be honest - it is a good work out for the 'core' for those who fancy it!

having just spent the morning seiving top soil into 3 crates I have to say it was harder work than you'd think! Plan to grow carrots, raddish and spring onions in mine and to get another to do some fennel in aswell

[Tee Gee]

The newbie on our plot has made 8 raised/shallow beds (8") filled the bottom with horse manure and seived about 3" of soil onto this.

I too think it might cake/dry out but I will try and keep an open mind, at least until I see what he plants in them.

I don't want to say anything at this stage because the lad has put a tremendous amount of effort and expense into his plot and I want him to succeed.

We have a couple of others who have erected tunnels on their plots, they too have spent a fortune on paving them out, making beds with plastic fascia etc.

Trouble is (in my opinion) they have done all this at the expense of using up good growing space. I would guess that they each have spent in excess of £2000 to date, so their return per square yard is going to be very costly and it is going to take a long time to recoup there expense.

But it is each to their own,it might be just as well as it wouldn't do for everyone being as tight a beggar as me. ::) 8)

[shirlton]

Almost everyone on our site has raised beds and paths covered in shredded tree pulp. We like to dig deep beds for the things that need it. Tony digs over the paths as well he don't go much for the permanent walkways

[Bjerreby]

I am not so sure about making a fine powder. When you write "sieve" I think of a very fine filtration.

Here's my home-made soil grader. It has two degrees of fineness. The grating on legs has holes about 50 * 20 mm. It is very durable, and I use it to break down heavy lumps of clay, and to set big stones out. I just shovel it on, and move the soil back and forth with the shovel.

For my carrot bed, I use a finer grade. The frame with wire mesh fits inside the grating on legs, and is a bit shorter so it slides back and forth inside the grating. It is very easy to use for hours on end.

It is also a fine tool for making compost. I grade out all the extra coarse bits and re-cycle them. I also use it to mix my sowing / potting compost, made of  garden compost with rotted seaweed and sand.

I'd say my grader ranks alongside a fork or wheelbarrow in usefulness.  :)

[cacran]

Oh, that is some sieve!!!!!!
My husband has had a look and says he will make me one. I can't wait. :)

[mikey]

Bjerreby,

completely off topic but, what is the name of the Icebreaker ?

She looks familiar

thanks

[Bjerreby]

Bjerreby,

completely off topic but, what is the name of the Icebreaker ?

She looks familiar

thanks

It is Thorbjorn. The second "o" has a strike through it. Built in Svendborg 1979. I still have the bruises on my knees and shoulders to prove it!

[cacran]

What did you use for the metal in the seive that you made? It looks like one of those metal dooway scrapers. I have been trying to find some sort of grille that would be strong enough over the width of such a sieve as yours. ???

[Bjerreby]

What did you use for the metal in the seive that you made? It looks like one of those metal dooway scrapers. I have been trying to find some sort of grille that would be strong enough over the width of such a sieve as yours. ???

It is a scraper. I  not sure about back home in the UK, but here in Denmark you get them from the Danish version of B&Q. Mine cost about 20 quid, but remember we have 25% VAT on EVERYTHING here! :(

Don't worry about door scrapers being galvanized. So is my watering can, and we have used galvanized nails and wire since the year dot. Plants need a trace of zinc.

[cacran]

Thanks for that, I will have to look around for one, 25% VAT!!!!!!!! I thought we were bad!!

[Bjerreby]

Thanks for that, I will have to look around for one, 25% VAT!!!!!!!! I thought we were bad!!

Ha! 25% VAT only comes after we have paid a top rate of 63% income tax!

[cacran]

OMG!!!!!